Drip rail assembly for window



Jan. 20, 1959 R. B. FARNON ETAL 2,869,185

DRIP RAIL ASSEMBLY FOR WINDOW Filed May 29, 1957 I l i A.

P h LIL;

FIG.

INVENTOR.

B. FARNON E. ROSE Robin-r l, STANLEY THEIR ATTORNEY United States Patent "ice I 2,869,185 DRIP RAIL ASSEMBLY FOR wmnow Application May 29, 1957, Serial No. 662,499 1 Claim. 01. -40

The present invention relates to a drip rail assembly for a window and more particularly to an assembly for draining water from the room side of a window to the outdoors while preventing reverse flow of air and water through the drain means due to high winds and driving rain on the outside.

Condensation which forms on the inside of windows when it is warm inside and cold outside sometimes creates a very diflicult disposal problem. Modern construction materials, using metallic structural members for the window sash and other portions of the window, have greatly 'increased'the amount of water which collects on the inside of' these windows and in many cases the water drains onto the sill and from there onto the floor. Some installations provide a means for collecting this condensed moisture and draining it to the outdoors. However, most of these installations provide no means whereby cold air from the outside is prevented from entering the enclosure through the path provided for draining the water to the outside. in some cases, when there are high velocity winds and rain outdoors, these installations actually work in reverse and water from the driving rain flows back through the drain from the outside into the enclosure anddrips onto the floor and carpets to damage these areas.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved drip rail assembly which will discharge condensate collecting therein even when high velocity winds and rains are directed onto the assembly from the outside.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a drip rail assembly for the removal of condensate collecting in a window which assembly substantially eliminates the possibility of cold air and water flowing from the outside back into the room through the drain means.

More specifically, it is an object of the present invention to provide a drip rail assembly which is mounted beneath a window for collecting condensate dripping therefrom and which is designed to produce a pressure differential in the drain passage for forcing the collected water to flow to the outside.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparentasthe following description proceeds and the features of novelty which characterize the invention will be pointed out with particularity in the claim annexed to and forming part of this specification.

In carrying out the objects of the present invention, there is provided a drip rail assembly having a longitudinal trough, disposed beneath the window on the inside portion of the assembly, which collects water falling from the window pane and other members of the window. The assembly contains a section carrying at least one passage therein having its ends exposed to the outdoors. The passage is designed to provide a gradually reducing cross sectional area from each of its ends to a point of minimum cross sectional area intermediate the ends whereby air currents flowing from one end of the passage to the other produce a pressure drop in the passage at the point of minimum cross sectional area. A

2,869,185 7 Patented Jan. 20, 1959 drain connection is provided which connects the trough portion of the assembly to the point of minimum cross sectional area in the passage whereby water collected within the trough is drawn from the room side .of the assemblyinto the passage due to the reduced pressure in the passage at the point of minimum cross sectional area. Thereupon, the water is discharged to the outside along with air currents flowing through the passage.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a cross sectional elevation view showing the drip rail assembly mounted in a window sill;

Fig. 2 is a plan view taken along line 22 of Fig. 1 and partially broken away to show the drain passage; and

Fig. 3 is a plan view similar to Fig. 2 taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 1 and showing the baflie arrangement of the drip rail assembly. 7 Referring to Fig. 1, there is shown the drip rail assembly of the present invention mounted upon a window sill 2 and arranged beneath a glass window pane 3 contained in a closure panel having a metallic member 4 forming the outer boundary of the panel. This type of closure panel is sometimes used in the window of ofiice buildings to close ofi a portion of the window next to an air conditioner mounted through one side of the window. Thedrip rail assembly comprises a longitudinal member 6 having a C-shaped or channel-shaped cross section with the open portion 7 of the member facing the outside.

Means in the form of an upwardly extending flange 8 is provided to form a seal between the drip rail assembly and the window or closure panel. More specifically, the flange 8 rises from the upper surface or leg 9 of the C- shaped section 6 and has attached thereto, for the length of the rail, a resilient sealing gasket 11 which abuts the lower portion of the closure panel member 4 thereby sealing the lower boundary of the window panel from the outdoor elements. v

In order to collect moisture and water condensing on the window pane 3 and on the metallic closure panel member 4 a trough 12 is provided beneath these members. The trough is formed by a portion of the upper surface or leg 9 of the C-s'haped section 6 and the flange 13, which extends the length of the C-shaped member and is attached to the upper corner thereof. The flange 13 extends into the room a slight distance and is supported by a leg 14 resting upon the window sill 2. The flange 13 is slanted slightly upwardly toward the room side of the trough thereby causing water or moisture collecting in the trough to flow downwardly and collect against the upwardly extending sealing flange 8.

As may be more clearly seen in Figs. 2 and 3, the open portion 7 of the G-shaped section 6 is divided into a series of passageways by a plurality of baffles 16 which are permanently assembled into the open portion 7 of the C-shaped section 6. Thus, referring to Fig. 3, baflie 16, which is, formed .of a long member of rectangular cross section having a slight angular bend 17 intermediate the ends 18 thereof, is inserted into the open portion 7 of the C-shaped section with the bend 17 substantially closer to the base or web portion 10 of the C-shaped member than are the ends 18 of the bafile. It can be seen that each of the baflies 16 form a passage 19 having its ends or openings 21 facing the outside. Each passage has a gradually reducing cross sectional area from its ends thereof to a point of minimum cross sectional area 22 where the bend 17 of the baffie 16 lies closely adjacent the base 10 of the C-shaped section. Thus, by virtue of the configuration or slope of the baffles 17, they, together with the base 10 and the upper and lower legs 9 and 9a respectively of the C-shaped section, form a plurality of converging-diverging passages in the open portion 7 of the section.

It should be noted that, for manufacturing reasons, it

was found more economical to make the baffles 16 as separate members and assemble them later rather than ma se heht a an. nt ra Pa tei the Q- seetieh Hew en. there i he; re n e e than e h u s economicgwhy thesernembers should not be an integral P tw the eetiq fi-j By means t theends or openings 21 in the passages outside air currents are directedinto the passages 19=and forced toflow therethrough. For example, as may be seen in Eigtii, outdoor air blowing from the lower right side will enter theiower, end or opening 2-1 at an angle and flow throughthe passages 19 as indicated by the arrows, De ehdih ha hthe' r t e ef the i air currents, airwill be trapped by the passages 19 andwill flow through the converging-diverging passages in one tlireetieh e 5. hheth r: A? e r ul e th i' u struction the absolute pressure of the air flowing within the passages rises and falls Specifically, at the narrowest portion 22 of the passages the pressure is often below atmospheric because the constriction in the passage at thi .v neiht pr m es n her e e ihthe velocity of air flow 'whichin turn creates a pressure drop at this point. In order to dispose of water collecting in the trough 12, a series of connectors or drain passages 23 are provided which connect the trough 12 with the air passages 19 at the points of minimum cross sectional area 22, Due to the reduced pressure in the air passage 19 at the narrow portion 22, a suction effect is produced in the drain passage 23, which causes air from within the enclosure or room to be drawn intothe passage 19 and flow fromwithin the room to the outside. Thus, any air flow through the drain passage 23' will be from the inside of the room to the outside. Further, since the trough portionv 12 also collects the water formed on the room side, the water is also drawn through the passages 23 and discharged outside with the air. By this means water collected on the room side is forceably removed to t e out Obviously, the suction eifect is greater on those days when a greater air flow is experienced in the passages 19. Thus, during high winds or driving rains, when many draining arrangements have a tendency to flow in reverse, the drain arrangement of the present invention becomes evenmore effective. In a tested installation of the drip rail assembly, inwhich four baffles 16 were used thereby forming four venturi-like passages 19, and having drain connect ons or holes 23 of inch in diameter leading from the trough 12 to the minimum cross sectional area 21 of the passages 19, it was found that good pressure characteristics were obtained at all angles of approach to the drip rail assembly for the air currents on outside. Even those angles of approach directly normal to the assembly provided a suflicient drop in absolute pressure at the point of minimurn cross sectional area 22 to produce effective operation. This is attributed to updrafts and downdrafts which occur when the air flows die tl n rma e he b il i or us It. 119 1912 heteel het e d i ta l. as emb e the RE lY Q 1.Q P lQPV QWlY m d eh nte P QEPQf. he w do t e Thh h p ilv mu fei'rh the window sill of a metallic window construction and the sealing arrangements could be so designed that the window could be opened or closed in the same manner as normally provided in a window having the conventional type window sill. The C-shaped section and the trough would be arranged substantially as described above.

By the present invention there has been provided an efiective means for removing moisture and condensation which forms on thewindow and its associated parts due to cold temperatures on the outside and higher temperature in the-room or enclosure. Moreover this means also prevents the introduction of drafts into the enclosure from the outside through the drain passages provided for removing the condensate from within the enclosure. The invention also works particularly well under conditions wherein there is a driving wind blowing against the assembly, since the draining operation of the assembly depends on a ventiri-like efiect produced by the wind in additionto.gravitational forces which effect drainage of the water. during those times when the wind is not blowing.

While there has been shown and described a speeiiic embodiment of this, invention, it is to be understood that theinvention is, notlimited tothe particular form shown and described and it is intended by the. appended claim to cover all such modifications within the true spirit and scope. of; the invention.

What. we. claim as. new and desire to secure by Letters of'Patent of the United Statesis:

A driprail assembly for collecting and disposing of condensate formed. on. the inside of a window comprising means for. supporting said assembly on a windowsill, an upwardly extending flange in sealing engagement with the.lower portionof said window, a trough portion disposed on the room side of said flange and extending below said; window. for collecting moisture falling therefrom, a, longitudinal sectiondisposed substantially below said fiangeiofgenerally. channel-shaped cross section with said open. portion of said section exposed to the outside, at least one, bafile assembled in the open portion of said channel-shapedsection, said bafile being angled inwardly from its extremities toward the web of said channelshaped section and cooperating with said channel-shaped section to form a horizontally extending air passage with its ends exposed to the outside, said angled portion of said battle causing said passage to gradually reduce in cross sectional area from the ends thereof to a point of minimum cross sectional area intermediate the ends whereby air currents flowing from one end of said passage to said other end produce a pressure drop in said passage at said point of minimum cross sectional area and;a drain passage connecting said trough portion with said air passage only at said point of said minimum cross sectional; area whereby water is drawn from said trough by said reduced pressure in said passage at said point of minimumcross sectional area and discharged to the outside with air currents fiowing through said passage.

Great Britain Feb. 25, 1932 Switzerland Nov. 16, 1949 

